Anti-terorism efforts require intl cooperation

BEIJING - As terrorist groups in different countries strengthen communication with one another, the international community should also expand cooperation in cracking down on terrorism in an effort to maintain peace and stability.

The latest development in international terrorism came into the spotlight when a report from the Global Times, a China-based newspaper, said that the "East Turkistan" terrorist forces, as represented by the East Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM), have joined the fight in war-torn Syria.

An unidentified Chinese anti-terrorism official was quoted by the Global Times as saying that following the commands of al-Qaeda, the "East Turkistan" terrorist forces organized members to sneak into Syria.

The "East Turkistan" terrorist forces are also active in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region. They have carried out a series of terrorist attacks in the region, bringing heavy losses to Chinese people and undermining peace and stability.

The Chinese government has labeled the "East Turkistan" as one of the "three evil forces" of separatism, extremism and terrorism and has been firmly cracking down on them.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei on Monday said China has acknowledged the report, and the country is firmly opposed to terrorism in all forms.

The "East Turkistan" terrorist forces are strengthening contact with other international terrorist groups, which not only seriously undermines China's state security but also poses threats to the peace and stability of other countries, according to Hong.

The international community should remain on high alert, further strengthen cooperation and jointly fight terrorist groups, including the ETIM.

Terrorism is a non-traditional security issue and has become a major threat to the international community in the post-Cold War period.

Due to deep-rooted political, economic and ethnic reasons, terrorism is mushrooming in some hot spots and spreading to other areas, further complicating the situations in Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan and other regions.

Furthermore, after decades of development, terrorist groups in different countries are collaborating with each other, increasing the difficulty for one country to eradicate them.

No country in the world is immune to terrorism -- the common enemy of all peace-loving people. To eradicate it requires comprehensive measures by many countries.

As a country that has experienced terrorist attacks on its soil, China is cooperating with some countries in anti-terrorism efforts in terms of sharing intelligence, extraditing terrorists and cutting off financial support for terrorist activities -- and this cooperation has scored remarkable achievements.

But terrorism is far from dying out, and the situation in Syria shows that terrorism is actually spreading. More extensive and intensive international cooperation can contain the "cancer" from spreading and help determine a proper solution for cutting it off at the source.